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Fauci: 'I completely destroyed my arm' days before awful 1st pitch

Rob Carr / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Dr. Anthony Fauci tossed one of the worst first pitches ever on Opening Day in D.C., but the renowned immunologist has an excuse.

Fauci says he went to a local high school two days prior to play catch for the first time in decades.

"I completely destroyed my arm," the 79-year-old told Ben Cohen of The Wall Street Journal. "My arm was hanging down around my shoes.

"Instead of doing my normal motion of just lobbing the ball, which would've been the best thing to do, I thought, 'Oh, baby, I better put a lot of different oomph into it,'" Fauci continued. "And I did. And you saw what happened."

What followed was a pitch that didn't just miss the strike zone but headed toward the dugout.

Fauci received the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the first game of the season, which saw the New York Yankees beat the Washington Nationals in a rain-shortened contest.

Fauci currently serves as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which advises U.S. presidents regarding the dangers and severity of contagious viruses.

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